Animus Labyrinthinus
by Allen Bedillion Trahurn
Summary: After a particularly nasty argument between Maka and Soul, she wishes the goblins would simply take her away. Little does she know that the book she's been reading was much more than a mere fairy-tale. R&R please
1. The Argument

**Okay, I had this idea swirling about in my head for a while now. It was orignally supposed to be a more macabre version of **_**The Labyrinth **_**but I decided I'd adapt it to **_**Soul Eater.**_** For those of you who like this story, I should mention that I will still be writing out the other version, so it may do you some good to read that one through as well. Anyway, I hope you enjoy **_**Animus Labyrithinus!**_

_"Give me the child," Sarah said, "Through dangers untold...and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle, beyond the Goblin City, to take back the child you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours...and my kingdom is as-"_

"Maka! We need to talk!" came the voice of Soul Eater Evans from the living room, the door slamming behind him. He was angry, though the girl supposed her Weapon had reason to be. After all...she hadn't told him about the boy she was with. And at the time it had seemed like an impossibility that they would be caught, and an even greater impossibility that it would be Soul that found them.

- _"No...Anthony...not here..." she had pleaded with her boyfriend of three months. Classes at the Death Weapon Meister Academy were over for the day, so they were the only two there. She had been sitting on their teachers desk, while the boy in question had his face buried in the crook of her neck. Obviously, she was fighting a losing battle._

_ "C'mon, baby," the boy said huskily, his hands busily working over her body, "it's just us."_

_ "What if someone comes in and catches us?" she asked, her breath catching in the middle of her sentence._

_ "There's no one here to catch us," he said, his hand reaching under her shirt. It seemed, however, that fate was very much against the boys empty promises, as the door opened, letting light flood into the otherwise fairly dark room._

_ "Hey Maka, you in here? You never met me outside so I thought maybe...you..." the familiar voice of Soul rang out into the room, trailing off as he noticed the incredibly awkward situation his Meister was in. His eyes seemed to glow red with resentment, and though he kept his cool he was unable keep his arm from transforming into a deadly looking scythe-blade. Anthony noticed this and smirked, not moving his hands from their positions._

_ "What, Evans? Jealous?" a growl was his response, but Soul didn't attack as he so very much wanted to. Rather, he merely (through great force of will) put his arm back to normal and walked away. _

_ "Soul, wait!" Maka cried after her best friend._

_ "Just forget him, babe. Where were we?" Anthony said, trying to continue, but Maka instead slapped him and yelled, "I told you this would happen! Get off me!" beffore pushing him off of her and running after her Meister. She finally found him outside, revving up his motorcycle._

_ "Wait!" she cried, but it was too late, and he was speeding away, but not before she saw the clear look of hurt on his face. Alone, she walked home, fighting back the urge to cry. When she got home, she had immediately spotted the book she had recently been immersed in, "The Labyrinth" and began reading in her room, tuning out the outside world and ignoring her constantly ringing cell phone.-_

Maka didn't even flinch as the door to her room opened slowly and revealed her Weapon and best friend. He was leaning against the door frame, hands in his pockets, and his tired eyes focused on the wood in front of him. Fatigue was the only thing she could read from him: everything else about him seemed emotionless. For what seemed like several minutes, the two merely stayed in this position: she, sitting on her bed with the book open in her lap and he with his eyes focused so heavily in front of him. Finally, he looked up at her and spoke.

"Still reading that book, huh?"

"Yeah," she answered simply, glancing down at the book before returning her gaze to him. He never looked her in the eye. No matter what she did to find his gaze, he avoided her.

"Soul, about today, I-"

"You know you could have told me you had a boyfriend..." Soul said, his voice a little rough. She couldn't see, but inside his jacket his hands were balled up into fists so tight it hurt. So tight, he was certain that he had drawn blood.

"I wanted to...but..."

"But what?" he said, his icy cool finally starting to thaw, "But you thought I couldn't handle it? That I'd get jealous? Or maybe you pitied me? Is that it?"

"Hey don't raise your voice at me just because you don't have a girlfriend Soul!" Maka yelled back, standing. The two were glaring at each other now.

"This isn't what this is about, Maka! What the hell do you think you were doing in there? What's happening to you?" In answer, Maka flung the book at him, startling him and making him stumble back out of her room. He looked at her with wide eyes as she unleashed full wrath on him.

"Fuck you, Soul! Just leave!" she started, before saying something that really confused him. Since she had been reading _The Labyrinth_, though, she had been saying weird things anyway.

"I wish the goblins would just...just come and take me away! Right now! At least then I'd be away from all you jealous bullshit!" With that, she slammed the door in his face. He heard sobbing from the other side of the door, and immediately regretted what he had just done.

"Maka? Maka! Wait no, I'm sorry!" he said, stepping forward and trying the door handle. It was locked, as he knew it would be. He knocked his head against the door once and closed his eyes, breathing slowly. It was at about this point that he realized the sobbing inside had stopped. As a matter of fact, he couldn't hear anything at all.

"Maka?" he asked cautiously. Nothing. He felt a stab of fear that he didn't quite understand, but quelled it and changed one of his fingers into a tiny scythe. Using this small blade, he quickly picked the lock and opened the door. He was surprised to find that the lights were out.

"Maka? Are you okay?" he asked, flipping the switch with zero results. The only light was that from the streelamps outside, and the occasional flash of lightning from the thunderhead making it's way to Death City. From what he could see, Maka was lying in her bed, either sleeping or ignoring him. Her head was covered in her blankets.

"Maka listen...I'm really sorry...I was mad and...I didn't know what I was talking about it's just..." he sat on her bed, grateful that she didn't turn on him the instant he touched down, "Well...maybe you're right...I am a little jealous...and when I saw that guy I didn't know what to think...I guess I just lost it...I'm sorry Maka I really am...Maka?" He finally noticed that she wasn't breathing, and when he pulled the sheets back in fright, he realized that he was staring at pillows. He sighed angrily and sat back down, holding his head in his hands.

_"I just apologized to a bed..." _he thought. It was then that he heard it: a kind of small laugh. He looked up to just barely catch a glimpse of something ducking into her drawer. He knew better than to go snooping in there: who knows what little surprises he might find. After, Maka had turned eighteen a couple of months ago. Over the years, she had really filled out, and Soul had to admit his devotion to her had become more than professional.

_"If only she knew..."_ he thought, before catching more movement in the corner of his eye. He stood and tranformed his arm.

"Who's there?" he asked, a little foolishly. He had been entertaining the thought that Maka had snuck out moments before, but now he cold obviously see that something more sinister was going on.

"Show yourself!" another laugh from behind him. He turned and saw nothing. Then, tapping on the window. Again he turned, beginning to feel paranoid. Everything began to blur as he saw more and more sprout up around him: strange creatures that he couldn't identify. The owl began to become agitated as well, beating its wings on the window before it finally opened, letting in a huge gust of wind that Soul had to cover his eyes from. When he uncovered them, he was standing face-to-face with a rather strange looking man.

He wore what appeared to be a white or maybe silver-ish cloak of sorts, and was very thin and gaunt of face. His eyes were a medium shade of gray, and his hair was a disheveled mess. Nonetheless, he held a peculiar air of authority about him, and the smirk on his face only increased this. Soul took special notice in the fact that his ears had a slight point to them.

"Who the hell are you?" Soul asked, holding his blade arm up menacingly.

"Oh...no that won't do at all," the man said, completely ignoring his question before, with a flick of the wrist, Soul felt himself flung into the hall once more, his arm back to normal. In the mans hand was now a scythe that was identical to Souls weapon form.

"That's better. Who am I, you asked? Well...I suppose you can call me Jareth...but you'd probably know me better as the Goblin King." Soul stood slowly at this, before flashing his sharks smile and saying, "Sorry...never heard of you."

"Such a pity."

"Yeah, sure. Where's Maka?" asked Soul, quickly realizing he couldn't change into his weapon form at all. He supposed this guy was some sort of magician or something...probably a pre-Kishin that had targeted his Meister. Either way, this guy wasn't going to leave the apartment alive.

"Maka? Why, she called for me, and so I took her," the man started, turning to point out the window as Soul approached, planning on taking him by surprise. But he was surprised himself at what he saw. Outside was no longer the rainy city, but rather a near desolate wasteland, with a giant stone maze as the only change in scenery.

"She is there, in my castle," the man said, referring to the immense castle in the center of maze.

"So bring her back...unless you want me to kill you slowly," Soul growled, staring at the man, who merely smirked and stared back.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that for you. You see, I love her," Soul ground his teeth at this comment, "and so have given her certain powers. I will fulfill her every wish. She wished herself away and I did so.

"I don't care."

"Hmm..." the man thought, obviously just playing games, "well, I suppose since you seem just so _desperate_ to have her back, I'll give you a chance." He pointed to a clock next to Soul, whom realized that he was no longe standing in his apartment, but rather the wasteland he thought he had just been observing. This particular clock was strange, counting to thriteen rather than twelve.

"You have thirteen hours to reach the soul of the Labyrinth before your little Maka becomes one of us...forever."

"Eat me, old man," replied Soul, only to realize that Jareth had vanished, leaving the scythe buried in the ground where he had been standing. With a weary sigh and a heavy heart, Soul angrily pulled the weapon from the ground and hefted it over his shoulder, unaccustomed to the burden. Looking down, he noticed the book Maka had thrown at him, _The Labyrinth._ Guessing he would probably need it, he picked it up and pocketed it.

"This day just keeps getting worse and worse...I hate Mondays..." he said to himself as he took his first steps on what he was sure was going to be less of a magical adventure...and more of a hellacious nightmare.

**Please read and review. This idea should end up being well played out by the end. I wasn't sure how to do Jareths character to match up with the crossover storyline, but I think I did okay. Also, sorry for the lime-ish content there in the middle, hope nobody was too offended. Anyway, I hope you'll read more!**


	2. Into the Labyrinth

Soul stopped and looked up at the ominous stone wall impeding his progress. He had been looking for a way into the Labyrinth for what he felt like hours, and he was sure he was almost out of time. In reality, he had been searching for maybe five minutes. In that time he had found that, not only was there seemingly no conceivable entrance to the structure, but the walls were so tall that he wouldn't be able to scale them even if he could find a handhold.

"Thirteen hours...what a joke," the teenager muttered as he continued walking, the staff of the scythe in his hand causing little rings of dust with every step. He was getting tired, and it was so very hot out in this heat. He didn't know if he was still in Nevada or not, but he knew that not much was different. With a heavy sigh, he turned and began walking again, only to find his gaze drawn to something flying around just ahead.

"What is that thing?" he asked himself, adjusting the scythe on his shoulders so that it was more comfortable. It looked like a small human with wings. He held a hand out to it, only to have it stab him with a tiny knife.

"Gah! Little bastard! It was at about that time a small man wearing strange clothing came along and sprayed it with what looked to be an old-style bug sprayer. He had what could only be described as ugly facial features, with warts all over and a long, crooked nose. After a quick glance up at the scythe wielding youth, he chuckled and continued his work of meticulously spraying down the small flying people.

"What are you laughing at, old man?" asked Soul, baring his teeth. The man merely shook his head.

"Them's fairies, so you know."

"What?"

"Fairies. Were you dropped as a child, or are you deaf?" asked the man, looking up at the boy. Soul narrowed his eyes but after a moment turned away to observe the fairies once more.

"Weird. I thought fairies would do good things," he said thoughtfully.

"Well, shows what you know, don't it?" the small man said as he sprayed another, muttering a number as he did so: keeping count.

_"Guess it's just wishful thinking..." _Soul thought, and bgan to follow the man with a bored look on his face, his eyes darting up to the wall of the Labyrinth every few seconds. The small man, on the other hand, continued to spray the fairies, each one falling helpless before his feet. After about ten or so fairies, Soul lost his temper and stepped in front of the man, making him stop.

"Is this all you do? Spray fairies? Don't you ever go inside this place?"

"I don't see how I should tell you nothin' rude as you are," he replied, stepping around the boy and continuing his seemingly endless job.

"Fine. Just let me in."

"Let you in what?"

"What?" Soul asked, bewildered for a moment before snapping his focus back, "The Labyrinth!"

"Well that's awful rude of ya, yelling at people you don't know."

"Well how do I get in?"

"To what?" the little man asked, hiding a small smirk rather expertly.

"The Labyrinth," answered Soul, getting more and more frustrated by the second. Seeing this, the little man spoke up.

"You haven't been asked the right questions."

"Hmmmph..." Soul huffed, thinking about the scythe on his back, "Well, can you show me how to get into the Labyrinth?" The man stopped there and his eyes widened as a small smile showed itself on his stoney features.

"Ahhh. Now that's the right question. You gets in through _there,"_ he said, pointing toward the wall. On it, a large door was just opening slowly. Soul could've sworn it wasn't there before. Shrugging, he turned to thank the portly little man, but he was already gone.

"Oh well," he muttered, walking toward the door. He stepped up to it and looked back and forth, seeing nothing but an endless corridor either way.

"Cozy, innit?" came the little man's voice, scaring the Soul so badly that, had it not been already, his hair would have turned white. He swung the scythe down at the man but he ducked it.

"You really are rude, you know," Soul said, putting the scythe back over his shoulders. His breath was still coming fast and hard, but he turned back to the paths before him nonetheless.

"Soooo..." he began, noting that the old man was still next to him, "which way do you think I should go to get to the center of the Labyrinth?"

"What does it matter to me? Would you be goin' left...or right?"

"Well which way would you go?"

"Me? I wouldn't go either way," the man said, and Soul glared at him before stomping past him.

"Cool. Thanks for nothing...er..."

"Hoggle. And either way you go, even if you get to the center of the Labyrinth, you'll never find your way out again. Best to stay outside."

"That's your opinion."

"Well it's a lot better than yours. And don't say I didn't warn you."

"Whatever old man. I can't turn back now, can't I?" Soul replied back, retaining what little cool he had left. Hoggle had been getting to him for some reason. He chalked it up to all the stress he'd been having lately.

_"Yeah, and now I have a big ass maze to solve on top of it...but I won't quit. I'm coming Maka,"_ he thought, watching as Hoggle turned and the door closed. Soul, turning to look down each path, decided on taking the right. He stretched his legs a little, thinking that eventually he'd hit a turn if he sprinted, and took off. The air made his hair blow back as he ran, avoiding any obstacles with the agility gained only from training tirelessly with Maka. Thinking about her egged him on, but after five minutes he was winded and skidded to a halt, panting and wiping the stinging sweat from his eyes.

"This isn't a Labyrinth...it's just a freakin' hallway. There are no turns or doors or anything it just keeps going and going...this can't be fair," he said angrily, gritting his teeth as he slammed the blade of the scythe into the ground, embedding it a little in the stone.

"Easy there, kiddo. Of course there's turns, it just that you ain't seein' 'em," came a small voice from right next to him, and Soul looked over to see a small worm.

"Do you know the way through then?" asked Soul, not hiding the small glimmer of hope he had.

"Me? Nah I'm just a worm," it replied and, ignoring Soul's tired oh, continued, "You look tired. Why not come inside and have a nice cup of tea?" While Soul was enticed (he could use a nice beverage at this point) he shook his head and looked to the left and right, searching for turns he may have missed. Not seeing them, he looked back to the worm.

"You said there were turns, but I haven't seen any. What am I missing?"

"Well, look there's one right in front of ya."

"There's...nothing there? Just more wall," Soul replied, looking at the wall ahead of him.

"That's the thing about this place," said the worm matter-of-factly, "Not everything's what it seems in this place. You can't take anything for granted."

"No, really it's just wall," Soul stated plainly, plucking his scythe up and taking a step forward.

"Come on inside and meet the missus," the worm replied, before noticing he wasn't paying attention anymore, "Well, just try walking through it and you'll see what I mean." Wary to take this small creature's advice but out of idea's himself, Soul slowly walked toward the wall, closing his eyes when he was sure he was about to make impact. The only problem with that was that he kept walking. Stopping, he opened his eyes wide and, for the first time since he got here, Soul smiled his big sharks grin.

"Wow! Thanks little dude that helps a lot!" he said, turning to the left only to hear the worm yelling for him to stop.

"No don't go that way!"

"What...?

"Never go that way!"

"Oh. Well thanks again!" Soul said, taking off to the right before the worm could stop him. As Soul left, the worm muttered to himself.

"He shoulda just kept goin' forward down that way and he would gone straight to that castle..."

**Woot! Two down in two days? A.T.B. is back, bebeh! Well, maybe not. Anyone read and review and such. I'm trying to keep close to the storyline of the Labyrinth but I can't work miracles, so if things are a bit different or I leave something out, don't worry too hard. Thank you for reading!**


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